Resume Package Cover Letter and Resume Brian Gastle Western Carolina University

What Do You Want To Do In A Cover Letter?  Introduce yourself  Brief statement of abilities  Express interest in the job  Show how YOU will be a benefit to THEM  n.b. the application procedure whittles away applicants

Cover Letter Components  Your inside address upper right or letterhead  Their inside address  Salutation try to find name

CL Components (cont.)  What should be in an opening paragraph? Express interest in specified ad Follow lead of the ad

CL Components (cont.)  Body of Cover Letter  Bullets (if appropriate) 3-6 specific points short statement of experience begin with verb whenever possible

CL Components (cont.)  Closing restate interest & ask for interview state where and when you can be reached  Signature (valedictus)

Resume  Functional vs Chronological based on experience  Layout balanced easy to read specifics ($ and #)  Name and Address  Objective  Education  Experience  Personal Information  References

Name and Address  Name should be prominent  Address should indicate both campus and home  address  Phone should indicate both campus and home

Objective  Short, clear and tailored to ad  Omit if you are uneasy with it

Education  If strong point, place before experience  List all colleges, degrees, expected degrees, specials, etc.  Do not use abbreviations  Options indicate % of $ earned indicate honors and awards (or list separately) indicate special training (seminars) may go under experience

Experience  Jobs (w/ dates and locations) & duty if appropriate  Internships  Campus activities (exec positions in clubs and organizations)  Adjust Job description to fit application

Personal Info  Optional  Birth date and marital status not required  Good for things that may be of some use but don’t really fit (hobbies related to job)  May be divided (memberships, honors, interests, etc.)

References  Omit, or  List all info needed per individual

Scannable Resumes  Standard fonts between 10 and 14 points  Italics and underlining cause problems for the scanner. Use boldface for emphasis.  Avoid vertical and horizontal lines. When used, leave a least a quarter of an inch of space around the line.  Avoid graphics, shading and shadowing.  Do not double space within sections.

Scannable Resumes  Resumes should be original and printed with a laser printer on white or light colored 8 1/2-x 11-inch paper. Print on one side only.  Resumes that have been folded, stapled or other wise mutilated will not scan well.  It is imperative that you describe your skills and accomplishments using the language of your profession.